ght and won the Battle of Trenton on Boxing Day. He then took Princeton on January 3rd, 1777 and most of New Jersey was back in American hands before winter set in. The rest is history. On April 20th, 1777, the first constitution of New York was adopted, although the city was not out of British hands After the first shots were fired at Lexington, the British fought a fruitless campaign in Boston, and withdrew North towards New York city. After landing at Staten island on July 3rd 1776, the British took the city after a tactical blunder by General George Washington in dividing his troops into two forces which were easily mopped up one at a time by the more experienced General Howe.

The British had several opportunities to press on during that year, and had they done so it is likely that the war would have ended there and then, but Howe decided to return to Manhattan and take Fort Washington and Fort Lee, giving Washington the chance to retreat and rest the main body of his troops. In fact the British remained in control of New York city and Long Island until after the war had ended, in 1783.

The colonials had by that time named Philadelphia as their capital, and by the winter of 1776, Howe was in control of New Jersey and ready to March on Philadelphia in the spring. At this time spirits were very low and Congress left Philadelphia, expecting it to be taken.

However, they reckoned without the courage of George Washington, who quietly crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night and won the Battle of Trenton on Boxing Day. He then took Princeton on January 3rd, 1777 and most of New Jersey was back in American hands before winter set in. The rest is history. On April 20th, 1777, the first constitution of New York was adopted, although the city was not out of British hands u

rces which were easily mopped up one at a time by the more experienced General Howe.

The British had several opportunities to press on during that year, and had they done so it is likely that the war would have ended there and then, but Howe decided to return to Manhattan and take Fort Washington and Fort Lee, giving Washington the chance to retreat and rest the main body of his troops. In fact the British remained in control of New York city and Long Island until after the war had ended, in 1783.

The colonials had by that time named Philadelphia as their capital, and by the winter of 1776, Howe was in control of New Jersey and ready to March on Philadelphia in the spring. At this time spirits were very low and Congress left Philadelphia, expecting it to be taken.

However, they reckoned without the courage of George Washington, who quietly crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night and won the Battle of Trenton on Boxing Day. He then took Princeton on January 3rd, 1777 and most of New Jersey was back in American hands before winter set in. The rest is history. On April 20th, 1777, the first constitution of New York was adopted, although the city was not out of British hands

and Fort Lee, giving Washington the chance to retreat and rest the main body of his troops. In fact the British remained in control of New York city and Long Island until after the war had ended, in 1783.

The colonials had by that time named Philadelphia as their capital, and by the winter of 1776, Howe was in control of New Jersey and ready to March on Philadelphia in the spring. At this time spirits were very low and Congress left Philadelphia, expecting it to be taken.

However, they reckoned without the courage of George Washington, who quietly crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night and won the Battle of Trenton on Boxing Day. He then took Princeton on January 3rd, 1777 and most of New Jersey was back in American hands before winter set in. The rest is history. On April 20th, 1777, the first constitution of New York was adopted, although the city was not out of British hands

, Howe was in control of New Jersey and ready to March on Philadelphia in the spring. At this time spirits were very low and Congress left Philadelphia, expecting it to be taken.

However, they reckoned without the courage of George Washington, who quietly crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night and won the Battle of Trenton on Boxing Day. He then took Princeton on January 3rd, 1777 and most of New Jersey was back in American hands before winter set in. The rest is history. On April 20th, 1777, the first constitution of New York was adopted, although the city was not out of British hands

ght and won the Battle of Trenton on Boxing Day. He then took Princeton on January 3rd, 1777 and most of New Jersey was back in American hands before winter set in. The rest is history. On April 20th, 1777, the first constitution of New York was adopted, although the city was not out of British hands until six years later when the last British troops left on November 25th, 1783.

On the 30th April, 1789 New York was declared the capital of the United States of America and George Washington was inaugurated at the Federal Hall in Wall Street on the 30th April, 1789. One revolution was over as a new one was just beginning in France. There then started an era of industrial and commercial growth in New York that was to result in New York State being given the nickname Empire State. New York’s position as capital lasted only until the next year, when it was replaced by Philadelphia.

The importance of New York was magnified by the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, linking Lake Erie and the Hudson River. When the St. Lawrence Seaway was developed later, the whole waterway system of that part of North America resulted in massive building of new towns to house those involved in the industry that good overland transportation systems bring. Railroads and turnpikes were built that exist to this day.

New York rapidly turned into a city of stockbrokers, bankers and shopkeepers and its wealth rapidly increased. Then, in the 1840s, thousands of unskilled Irish poured into the city as they